mothering Mother Pesto Sauce

Ingredients 2 cups basil leaves, densely packed 3 cloves garlic, sliced 3 T walnuts 1/4 cup olive oil Juice of 1 lemon Salt, freshly ground black pepper T=Tablespoon Separate the leaves from the stems. Rinse in a sink of cold water and then spin to remove most of the water.    Prepare the garlic by removing the skins, and slicing in half lengthwise. Carefully pull out the center core and then slice the garlic clove. Squeeze 1 lemon and remove seeds. Keep pulp if you like.   Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend to puree, about 30-60 seconds. Taste for seasoning and adjust.   Immediately pour the pesto into a jar and cover with a lid, to preserve the vibrant flavors. The pesto will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3 days, and will stay fresh in the freezer up to 1 year.  We recommend letting go of the pasta with the cow! Try breaking from the traditional pasta combination and trying one or more of the suggestions below: add to grilled vegetables as a topping, especially zucchini serve the pesto as a dip with fresh raw vegetables accompany sliced baguette with pesto dipping bowls use as a tasty filling for celery (careful not to drip any pesto on your shirt!) add to tofu  jazz up salad with pesto sauce, olive oil and balsamic vinegar Enjoy the bounty of the Summer harvest!

A couple of months ago I discussed the overwhelmingly feeling that I had regarding the vegetable garden. I knew that it was the right thing to do but all that I could see was a mass of weeds...

 

I could not see the potential and as a result could not find the energy to overcome inertia! A neighbor became my garden mentor, my garden guide although I did not tell her that she was playing this role. Over the last two months I have cleared little areas of weeds, and spread seeds. I would check in with "my guide" as to technique, placement, watering... pretty much everything.

 

Slowly the seeds have taken root and grown! It is a beautiful sight. As I watched the arugala and Red Russian kale grow, I was inspired to weed a little more, plant a little more. Just bite size pieces of gardening, a little nibble here and there.

 

Each day as I am preparing my lunch salad I head out to the garden with a pair of scissors and clip the freshest of greens for my salad. And then I stop on the deck to decide on what direction the salad will take, depending on the herb that I clip and add. Will it be mint, or basil, or thyme, or rosemary? Yes, rosemary! The herb chosen will influence that oil used, and on it goes. This creation fills my body and soul! More green in the garden and more green on the plate!

Namaste,

Sydney

Oil continues to spew into the Gulf, images of soupy shorlines and wildlife laden with oil continue to come through the media. Many talk about the concerns of the planet. Where do we go? What do we do?

The enormity of this situation seems overwhelming at times. Many feel less removed from this because the results of the accident cannot disputed, they are just a fact. These feelings translate into emotions that leave us paralyzed, helpless. What will make a difference?!


Begin with a single shift in awareness. Since all plastic is made from oil, there are endless moments in each day that we come into contact with plastic. The keys on this computer are made of plastic! What to do?! Today, I am not ready to say that I will make a personal commitment to Mother Nature and give up the computer. Where is the first step in your life? Where is the next step in your life?


Take a quiet moment, preferably out in Nature, and let the starting point rise up within you. Breathe it in fully, keep it realistic, make a commitment. Then, be prepared, tests will come your way. If it is coffee in disposable cups (which have a plastic coating inside) then you will be offered your favorite coffee, in a quiet moment, with a good friend. Oh, it is so tempting, and what difference will one cup make? It will make a huge difference within you. Holding to your commitment in that moment of questioning will give you power, strength and resolve. 


Don't believe what I say. Go out and try it for yourself. You and Mother Earth will benefit!

Namaste,

Sydney

 What will it take for me to plug in the cord for the laptop computer? Probably the little symbol in the bottom corner with a frantic yellow symbol! Until then I am noting the battery level constantly but doing nothing about it, until it is critical.

What will it take for us to take care of our health, to eat consistently well, to keep the body regularly limber? What will it take for us to take charge of our finances, to find the right balance between earning, spending and saving? What will it take for us to take note of our lifestyle and the impact that it is having on Mother Nature?

 

For far too many of us it takes something drastic, life threatening, alarming, just downright scary, to motivate us into action. Like the symbol for the battery, when this happens in our lives we kick into action, action that comes from a place of fear and worry. Action that comes from the head, we think about it and think about it. All of this thinking and thinking then creates its only little frenzy of activity in the mind, and that activity is transferred to the body. Not a form of positive motivation!

 

How is it that we can care so consistently and beautifully for our children? Right from the getgo? They are in our heart. As that baby is forming and becoming a part of our life before arriving to the outside world, our heart is swelling a little more each day with love.

 

In our lives, we can attend to the "should do" and "must do" list more consistently and easefully if that attending comes from the heart. As long as actions originate in the head, as long as they are part of our outer experience, then they remain exactly that and require work. When we move our actions into our hearts, when we attend to our health for the sake of others, for the quality of relationship and experiences that comes with a physically healthy and active body, then we take ourselves out of the picture and put others in the picture. Suddenly the effort for action lifts as love reigns.  With ourselves out and the heart in, life becomes an experience, not a duty.

 

So, you are being called, right now, to breathe in Mother Nature to your life, not as a list of duties and obligations, but as care and love that we give back for the beauty that surrounds us. What will it take for us to care for the Earth? What will it take for us to let go of old habits and develop selfless habits? Is it plastic bags collecting into an island in the ocean, or extinction of wildlife, or oil spewing into ocean? The Mother is there waiting for your love. 

Open your heart and serve. 

Namaste,

Sydney

The Realities of BPA Plastic

Realities of BPA Plastic Plastics have been in the media ever since this remarkable and innovative material entered the consumer market. Today, it's everywhere - at your corner store, under your kitchen sink, on your desk at work, seeping into your food, entering your body-affecting your health?   The plastic used in items hard plastic used in popular reusable water bottles and soda cans contain an industrial chemical called Bisphenol A or BPA. This chemical has received a great deal of press recently as concerns about its safety continue to pop up. What exactly is BPA? In scientific terms, it is an organic compound that contains two bound phenols. Phenol, by itself, is a crystalline solid that is considered toxic and has a moderate solubility in water.  It comes to no surprise then, why both the science community and the public have questioned the hazardous possibilities of BPA.   Not all plastics contain this potentially harmful chemical, however. A number 1 through 7 identifies plastics, and the only ones that contain BPA are numbers 3 and 7.  #3 plastics are used mostly in industrial environments and don't affect the general population. Plastic #7, however, is common in the life of an average consumer, appearing in hard plastic water bottles, baby bottles, water coolers, the lining in aluminum food and beverage cans, and plastic food storage containers. It's important to be aware that not all food storage containers have the #7 on the bottom of the containers. Consumer purchased hard plastic and stain-resistant food storage containers, even those of a leading brand, may contain BPA . There are alternatives out there such as biodegradable, compostable, or glass containers that are BPA-free, so do your research if you are unsure if your leftovers are sitting in the chemical. BPA can leach into the food or liquid that is contained, and proceeds to enter the body, causing certain health concerns.   The groups at the highest risks of being affected are fetuses, children under three, women trying to conceive, and expectant mothers. Others are at risk as well. There is evidence that BPA can potentially affect the prostate gland, brain, and behavior development or lead to obesity, a miscarriage and insulin resistance.   Science is not the only sector that is raising concern about this perilous plastic. Currently, California, Connecticut, and Chicago are pushing legislation that would pose a ban on the use of BPA in food and beverage containers. On a larger scale, the U.S. Congress is looking to push a bill that would pose a similar ban.   Regardless of where you live, and assuming you do not want to wait for federal legislation to come into effect, there are things you can do to avoid BPA plastics. · Avoid BPA by breastfeeding. In addition to evading BPA, breastfeeding provides additional benefits such as reduction in asthma, obesity, diabetes, and SIDS in the child as well as type II diabetes, postpartum depression, and breast cancer in the mother. · Use glass bottles, plastic bag inserts, or opaque polypropylene bottles - all  great alternatives - If you prefer bottle feeding your baby.  Some mothers do prefer formula, and there are other options to the typical plastic baby bottles. Also, use formulas that do not come in aluminum containers. · Use ceramic, glass, or stainless steel as opposed to plastic food storage containers or water bottles. If this is not doable, at the very least stay away from heating food in plastics as this increases the prospects of leaching.   · Avoid canned foods. Purchase the fresh or frozen alternatives as much as possible.   By making these small changes to your lifestyle, you will reduce your exposure to BPA By making informed consumer choices, you can accelerate the legislative process. Your health, the health of your family, and Mother Earth will thank you.

Grilling Green

Our surroundings are getting greener as spring comes to a close, and summer is on the horizon. Let's take a note from Mother Earth and make this summer our greenest yet! The backyard barbeque is a great summer tradition, but it doesn't have to be enjoyed at the expense of our environment. There are ways to celebrate the sunshine without the typical backyard BBQ blunders. The most obvious wasteful element is the amount of disposable plates and cutlery that is thrown into the garbage. Try to stick to reusable dishes and utensils. Make your party BYOD by asking your guests to bring their own dishes! If you have to go disposable, try finding biodegradable or compostable dishes. Or at least avoid plastic dishes, as they will never break down! Also, make sure to have distinctly marked recycling and garbage bin. Even consider a separate bin for food waste and compost it later! While burgers and dogs are the stars of the grill, the meat industry contributes to 18% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.  Try to assuage this statistic by offering more vegetarian options. These should please even your most carnivorous of guests. ·  For vegetables, zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, and bell peppers grill particularly well- Great when brushed with olive oil · BBQ 'd Tofu: try our tofu marinade recipe · Veggie Burgers · Corn on the Cob: Soak husks in water first and then grill with corn still in husks. · Portobello Mushroom caps: Can be grilled plain with a little sea salt or with a splash of balsamic vinegar Now that you've got the makings for some green grilling, get out into the sunshine. Celebrate nature and another marvelously green summer! Namaste, Sydney

Can there be more days of the year that are called Mother's Day? Like Earth Day ...

Let's take the awareness that we develop on that one day into everyday living! As a mother, I am all for that! I remember as a child asking my mum which day was "children's day" to which she replied "everyday"!

 

This year I do not want to stuff myself, with husband and children, into an overcrowded restaurant. I would like to combine this day, and a meal, into an honoring and recognition of a Mother much greater than any of us. That would be Mother Earth, Mother Nature, whatever names you designate to her. This meal will be a celebration with others in our community and the food will center around "Mother" food. Vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and fruits that have come to our home in cotton bags and will be given minimal alteration before eating.

 

When you prepare a meal like this, and everyone is seated at the table together, if you have poured your Love into the food as you prepared it, then take your hands and let them hover over the food. Can you feel the vibration coming from the food? Sometimes, if there is much Love, the vibration will push your hands up. Truly! Does this sound like a Ouiji board game?!

 

To all Mothers, in their various forms and roles, Honor to You!

 

Namaste,

Sydney

Following the gift of a one week cleanse, the shifts in body and mind and spirit are beginning to take root. It is manageable...

It is manageable for me, and it is a part of me, to incorporate shifts in the types of foods that I choose to eat, shifts in the way that these foods are prepared and shifts in the patterns of eating. It is part of me now because I have committed myself to this process, and along the way have found joy in what I am doing.


This is not always the way in life. There are things that we would like to do, would like to commit to, but cannot seem to actually incorporate. You may be feeling that way in reading about any type of detox plan, or any type of program that limits your eating, and asks more of you than you are right now. It may be overwhelming just reading the list of ingredients for the kitchadi for the cleanse (see recipes), and you have not even started to put the plan into action! I do know this feeling.


Years ago that was real for me when I began to shift my eating from a Western style diet. Now it is old hat! But ask me to start a vegetable garden again this year, and I am stopped in my tracks. I can find a number of other jobs or tasks or activities that are more demanding of my time and energy. Not more worthy, but more demanding. Yet I want the results of a vegetable garden! I can connect with Mother Earth through cooking wholefoods in the kitchen, through shopping without plastic, through hanging laundry on the line, why am I not pulled into this gardening easily?!


No need to analyse it any further. I have found the source of the problem, and I am still wanting the results. So I am going to put an action plan in place, look for support carefully and nurture myself through this challenge. So the process at this time is:

• truthfully acknowledge emotions and behaviors
• use insight and awareness to look at the situation from many different angles
• ACTION! which is where I am at now.

Updates of the action plan will be posted in the coming days and weeks. Replace the garden situation with your own situation and let us know how you are moving through life!

Namaste,
Sydney